HRDC warns that prolonged unemployment is leaving some graduates with outdated skills before they get a chance to enter the workplace.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana graduates are waiting so long for employment that some of the skills acquired at university and other training institutions become outdated before they get an opportunity to use them, a new Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) report has warned.
The Annual Priority Skills Report 2026, presented to the Ministry of Finance on 15 September, identifies prolonged unemployment, limited job opportunities and mismatches between qualifications and industry needs as major challenges confronting Botswana’s labour market.
According to the report, sluggish economic growth has constrained employment creation across most industries, leaving relatively few openings for the growing number of graduates entering the labour market.
“Graduates’ waiting period for employment is too long because of limited job opportunities and their skills become outdated,” the report states.
Jobs remain scarce
The findings paint a difficult picture for graduates, suggesting that obtaining a qualification increasingly offers no guarantee of a smooth transition into employment.
HRDC says the problem is compounded by Botswana producing large numbers of graduates with general qualifications while employers increasingly require specialised capabilities.
Government sponsorship, the report notes, has traditionally concentrated on general qualifications, contributing to saturation in some fields while industry struggles to find specialised skills.
Skills mismatch
The report also raises concerns about inadequate workplace exposure among students and trainers.
According to HRDC, industry stakeholders have questioned the quality of some graduates from local education and training institutions because they have insufficient exposure to real working environments.
Training shift
HRDC is consequently calling for a fundamental shift from qualification-driven education towards skills-based training aligned with the needs of the economy.
It says Botswana must move away from a mindset in which education is pursued primarily to secure employment towards one that also promotes entrepreneurship, job creation, research, innovation and development.
The report recommends accelerating Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education while strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
It proposes rationalising TVET programmes and institutions and establishing centres of excellence concentrating on emerging areas, particularly digital and green skills.
Industry simulations should also be introduced to give students practical experience before entering workplaces, while private-sector participation in curriculum development and student and trainer attachments should be strengthened.
Future demand
HRDC recommends directing government sponsorship towards priority skills linked to NDP12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, using labour-market forecasts to determine how many students should be trained in particular disciplines.
The digital, green and care economies are identified as significant sources of future skills demand.
Artificial intelligence, data analytics, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, specialised healthcare and education are among areas expected to become increasingly important. Tourism, agriculture and the creative industries will similarly require technological modernisation and stronger value chains.
HRDC says the challenge is therefore no longer simply producing more graduates, but developing a workforce whose skills remain relevant to Botswana’s changing economy.